Branch finally enters after long wait
Sister posthumously inducts ex-Worthing, Raiders standout
CANTON, Ohio — After a wait that felt too long to many, Houston Worthing star Cliff Branch was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
The late receiver was presented by his sister Elaine Anderson and close friend and Raiders Owner Mark Davis.
“Clifford was delayed. He was not denied,” said Elaine Anderson, his sister and presenter.
Branch, who died Aug. 3, 2019, at age 71 of natural causes, was one of the best deep threats of his era with some of his biggest performances coming on the game's biggest stages, helping the Raiders win three Super Bowls.
Branch made the first of his three straight All-Pro teams in his first season as a starter in 1974 and scored 67 touchdowns through the air.
“Even to this day, I get tears in my eyes when I look at the picture of Cliff running into ‘Cliff 's Corner' with that ball held up above his head as he scored a touchdown. … Every team feared Cliff Branch and that speed that he had,” Davis said.
Branch was one eight members of the Class of 2022 that were enshrined Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Offensive tackle Tony Boselli, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive back LeRoy Butler, defensive linemen Bryant Young and Richard Seymour, coach Dick Vermeil and longtime head of officiating Art McNally joined Branch in a class of guys who waited several years — some decades — to get the call.
Young delivered the most emotional speech when he broke down honoring his son, Colby, who died of pediatric cancer at age 15 in 2016.
“We assured Colby we would keep his memory alive and we would continue speaking his name,” Young said. “Colby, you live long in our hearts.”
Young, who excelled at defensive tackle in an era filled with talented players at the position, had 89½ sacks and earned four Pro Bowl selections in a 14-year career spent entirely with the San Francisco 49ers.
Vermeil gave the longest speech, blowing past the 8-minute limit by 15. The former Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs coach seemed to thank everyone who helped him reach the stage.
He credited players for his success and specifically pointed out fellow Hall of Famers Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce, who were on Vermeil's “Greatest Show on Turf” Super Bowl championship team in St. Louis.
“Gosh darn, I just wish I had time to go through everyone,” Vermeil said.
And then he did, anyway. Butler kicked everything off. The four-time All-Pro safety leaped in with the same enthusiasm he celebrated big plays at Lambeau Field.
“DJ Khaled said it best: ‘God did,' ” Butler began, referencing the song. “When you play for the Green Bay Packers, a lot of doors open up. When you win a Super Bowl, more doors open up. When you're picked for the Hall of Fame, football heaven opens up. It's rare company.”
Butler drew cheers from Jaguars fans in attendance to see Boselli's induction when he mentioned growing up in Jacksonville.
Butler originated the “Lambeau Leap” and had a key sack in Green Bay's Super Bowl win over New England. He fell short of becoming the first player in league history to finish his career with 40 interceptions and 20 sacks.
Mills, the 5-foot-9 linebacker nicknamed “Field Mouse” during his 12-year career with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, was inducted posthumously. An inspirational figure, Mills overcame tremendous odds to even reach the NFL.
Mills played Division III college football and was not drafted. He was cut by the Cleveland Browns and Toronto Argonauts of the CFL and began his professional career with the USFL's Philadelphia Stars. Jim Mora, who coached the Stars, brought him to New Orleans in 1986 and Mills never looked back.
“He was told he wasn't good enough to play college football or big enough to play professional football and at the age of 27, he wasn't young enough to play in the NFL and yet here we are today celebrating,” said Melanie Mills, Sam's widow.